Kay - For pineapple, you unscrew the top, then pick off leaves from bottom until the base is nice and clean. The less fruit you have on the stalk, the better but sometimes, a little stays on with the unscrew. I usually hold the top with an old dish cloth.
Then just stick in the ground or a pot and pat down firmly so it is tight. Water, then forget about it. Check in a week or two by slightly tugging a little at it. It should resist; it is making roots. I've only had 2 not take and you know because the middle kind of rots out.
The first time you get actual pineapples, may be up to 3 years and they may be small (but still unbelievably sweet). The plant will have at least 1 shooter stalk which will produce bigger pineapples in much less time. If the plant has > 1 shooter, take all off except one and make new plants. The shooter attached to the mom plant will produce a big pineapple. The shooters will produce fruits much quicker than the tops.
After a couple of years, you will have so many pineapples, that it won't matter if they are taking 2-3 years because they are always recycling through.
2014 I had 8 pineapples, 6 were store bought size.
2015 I had about 15, but only a few were store bought size. I'm thinking b/c 2015 spring was incredibly dry and hot.
I think b/c I'm seeing fruit already, these pineapples should be really large.
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